Sermons

[Confess]

OK. It's Monday.

Is your memory good?

If so, what was the message in your pastor's sermon yesterday?

[synger]

Oh, I definitely remember it. The Old Testament reading is one of the visions that resonates very strongly with me -- Isaiah and the burning coal. "I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips!" (Isaiah 6) That, plus the fishing miracle in which Peter basically said the same thing when confronted by the living God. "I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5)

So many times have I felt that same anguish when I think of approaching the holy Lord. I understand at a visceral level why one of the oldest postures for prayer is the prone position with arms outstretched on the ground. Coming from a Reformed background, where the emphasis is very strongly upon the sovereign, all-powerful, all-holy aspects of God, I have identified very much with this self-abasement. Sometimes to the detriment of the grace of the Gospel, I will admit.

And that was the necessary and healing second part of the sermon. God gave Isaiah a promise of grace... and it came in the form of His son Jesus Christ. That grace is poured out on us, sinners that we are. We are beloved of God, and called to His purpose.

[progressivegal]

We had the hugest blizzard I've ever seen this weekend, so no sermon (no church either, we went, but the parking lot was empty, we have nho TV so we didn't know church was cancelled.)

[Edial]

OK. It's Monday.

Is your memory good?

If so, what was the message in your pastor's sermon yesterday?
:doh: .

[filosofer]

We had the hugest blizzard I've ever seen this weekend, so no sermon (no church either, we went, but the parking lot was empty, we have nho TV so we didn't know church was cancelled.)

I hd been sick the weekend after New Year's. Then we had an ice/sleet storm, so no church. The following weekend we had a snow storm, so no church. I hadn't taught Bible class since Christmas!!

Sermon? Hmmmm.... Since I didn't preach... ;)

Yes, it was on Isaiah 6:1-6. "God Isn't Smoke and Mirrors"! His glory humbles us, his forgiveness restores and strengthens us to say "Here am I, Lord!"

In Christ's love,
filo

[CaliforniaJosiah]

My perspective...



1. I actually remember his sermon very well.
Lutheran pastors place a lot of emphasis on the sermon and work hard on it, and it shows. In the handful of Lutheran churches were I've participated, the quality of sermons runs high.


2. LISTENING is an art. It's one I've really had to work on, partly because I was homeschooled and so learning to LISTEN to the teacher wasn't something I had to learn, and partly because I'm a very VISUAL learner. What I SEE, I remember. When I'm in a lecture class, I have to take CAREFUL notes - turning what I hear into what I see. THEN, I immediately make summeries of my notes - often with pictures, diagrams, etc. By that time, I've got it. I've actually had an essay test and answered it with an outline and graphics, and aced it. So, for ME, the fact that my pastor has an insert with blanks and stuff helps me follow and pay attention.


3. I also REALLY appreciate sermons that clearly, obviously have a point. I can't tell you how many sermons I've heard in my life when the "amen" was said and I didn't have a clue what the point was. Lutherans are good about this.


4. I also REALLY appreciate pictures. Illustrations, stories, that sort of thing. It helps me "get it" as well as apply it.


5. BTW, my father (a Protestant minister) works HARD on his sermons - and he is a very good preacher. He's very practical - with a lot of ephasis on the "what does this mean for me?" aspect. That could be inspirational, comforting, motivating, etc. But because he spends a LOT of time on them, he just doesn't necessarily do it every week. My Dad is one of the few ministers I know that admits to "re-runs." The sermon is at least 3 years past and he does edit and modify it - but he can take a GOOD sermon and modify and learn it in a day, easy. Writing an entirely new one will consume a good chunk of the week and may not be as good. I sometimes remembered the sermon (so I guess I'm a better listener than I think, LOL) but never minded - at least if it was a GOOD sermon! I suspect a lot of pastors do this, but maybe don't admit it. There's nothing wrong here. An updated GOOD used sermon is better than an original fair sermon any day, LOL.



Thank you.


Pax!


- Josiah

[Edial]

...


2. LISTENING is an art.
This is a very good point.

Pastors do often dedicate much time in preparing their sermons.
Yet we are often involved in a "passive" listening, not an active one.
We are telling them "Give us a catch-phrase. Get our attention".

But that should not be.
We should learn to listen. Active listening.

Now, a Pastor could definitely lay an egg of a sermon, where no point is clear. That happens.

But in other cases, we should learn how to listen.

Good point.

Thanks,
Ed

[CaliforniaJosiah]

This is a very good point.

Pastors do often dedicate much time in preparing their sermons.
Yet we are often involved in a "passive" listening, not an active one.
We are telling them "Give us a catch-phrase. Get our attention".

But that should not be.
We should learn to listen. Active listening.

Now, a Pastor could definitely lay an egg of a sermon, where no point is clear. That happens.

But in other cases, we should learn how to listen.

Good point.

Thanks,
Ed



While I DO think that we listeners have a responsibility here ("he who has ears to hear..."), I also think the speaker has a responsibility.


It DOES help to have some "hook" - some easy to remember framework. It could be a verbal picture (my pastor on Sunday compared the church to a Cruise ship or a Battleship - it stuck, it was his comparison throughout the sermon), or some story or illustration. Jesus often spoke in parables.

It's also helpful if the pastor is speaking to us instead of reading to us. NOTHING is more annoying that a pastor who is basically reading a sermon. I want to shout "Just give me the sermon, I can read it myself in one tenth the time and we get move on here!" If you want to engage me - talk to me. My Dad always has notes and an outline up there - but he'd "practice" his sermon all Saturday morning - TALKING. By the time Sunday came, he rarely even looks at his outline or notes (I think it's a crutch more than anything), cuz he's talking to us, not reading to us. Makes a huge difference.


Nearly all preachers now use either powerpoint or a bulletin insert. This REALLY helps! Especially for very visual learners like me. Don't overdue it (it can be distracting) - keep the focus on the preacher - but enough to provide support. And it gives me a take home. Something my pastor does that my Dad doesn't, is there's a "reflection" part - questions for us to discuss about the sermon. Jennifer and I do this on our drive back home - which takes about 45 minutes or so. That not only helps to apply the sermon to our lives but really REALLY helps drive the point home and get it moved onto the old hard drive.



Just the views of one guy in the pew...



Pax!


- Josiah

[Confess]

How many people remember the law that was preached as well as the Gospel in last Sunday's sermon?